Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child is a Catholic independent school coeducational from kindergarten to grade 6 and for young women in grades 7 to 12.
Oak Knoll was founded in 1924 and is one of eleven schools in the Holy Child Network of Schools that provides independent Catholic education across the United States. The Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus have also founded schools in England, Ireland, France, Nigeria, and Ghana. All Holy Child schools operate under the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, based in Drexel Hill, PA. Oak Knoll shares the goals of the Schools of the Holy Child Jesus.
Enrollment
We enroll on average 550 students, kindergarten through grade 12; with 240 students in the Lower School and 310 students in the Upper School. The Lower and Upper School student/faculty ratio is 8 to 1. Our average class size in kindergarten is 11; for grades 1 through 6 the average class size is 17; and grades 7 through 12 the average class size 15. We look to enroll a select student population with a grade size of 32 to 36 in kindergarten through grade 8, and a grade size of 56 to 62 in grades 9 through 12.
Diversity
Oak Knoll actively seeks an ethnically, socioeconomically, and demographically diverse student body. Our student body is 82 percent Catholic and is accepting of all faiths. Fifteen percent of our student body is of color. Our students come from Catholic, independent, and public schools, and travel from 75 surrounding communities.
Campus
Oak Knoll is situated on an 11-acre campus in a residential neighborhood in Summit, New Jersey. Our state-of-the-art athletic fields are located on 14 acres in Chatham Township, New Jersey.
Athletics
We offer interscholastic sports for students in grades 5 through 12. For grades 9 through 12, we offer 12 varsity and seven junior varsity competitive programs. For students in grades 7 and 8, we offer six programs; and grades 5 and 6 we offer four programs and one intramural program. Sports offered at Oak Knoll include basketball, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and track and field.
Arts
The fine and performing arts provide a broad array of creative experiences aimed at cultivating the whole aesthetic of each student, kindergarten through grade 12. Our Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts holds approximately 500 people and houses musicals, concerts, plays, assemblies, and campus-wide prayer services.
College Preparation
One hundred percent of our Upper School graduates attend college. The college admissions process has become increasingly competitive, and Oak Knoll offers a full time college counseling staff to ensure that the process remains personal and focused on each student’s development and needs. We offer 14 advanced placement courses to our Upper School students.
Community Service
Oak Knoll has a culture and commitment to service which is based on its identity as a Roman Catholic, Holy Child School. Kindergarten through grade 12, 100 percent of our students volunteer in community service and campus ministry. Students and faculty aid numerous outreach programs in the area both during school-wide service days and on an ongoing basis.
Financial Assistance
Oak Knoll awarded over $1.2 million in financial assistance to students for the 2009-2010 school year. Students in kindergarten through grade 12 are eligible to receive assistance on basis of need.
Libraries
The Bonaventura Hall Library (K-6) and the Hope Memorial Library (7-12) are integral parts of the academic life of Oak Knoll. Our library media program seeks to develop information literacy skills in a sequential program for grades K-12 and to foster a lifelong love of reading. The Bonaventura Hall Library houses more than 11,000 books, circulates over 650 videos to support curriculum, and offers a variety of print and electronic resources and a SMART Board teaching center. The Hope Memorial Library houses approximately 15,000 volumes, as well as newspapers, magazines, music CDs, audiobooks, and DVDs.
Technology
Our wireless campus provides students with current technology and information resources to enhance learning and create contemporary students. All Lower School classrooms have SMARTboards and video/DVD players; many of our subject areas in grades 4 through 6 have laptop carts and teachers seamlessly integrate technology into their lessons. In the fall of 2003, we launched a one-to-one laptop program for Upper School students, and their teachers have a laptop and projection in the classroom, allowing for visual support to the academics. State-of-the-art computer labs in each school are equipped with the latest software and equipment, including scanners, laser and photo printers, visual presenter/document camera, digital cameras, and video cameras.
Support
As part of the Oak Knoll community, it is anticipated that everyone – parents, alumnae/i, trustees and friends – will thoughtfully participate in supporting the school over and above tuition. Every year we ask all those within the community to ensure the continued health and strength of our school by making a gift to the annual fund. Oak Knoll is a leader among independent schools, reflecting an extraordinarily high rate of parent participation, with many grades at 100 percent. From time to time, support is also solicited for capital campaigns (building and renovation), while planned giving and gifts to endowment are always encouraged. Through thoughtful and generous donors providing support for the annual fund, supplementing our capital requirements, and bolstering our endowment, Oak Knoll’s mission continues to thrive.